Method for constructing town houses and the like

Abstract

A modular building construction system having (a) a series of rectangular U-shaped in vertical cross-section modules, each having only two bearing walls opposite each other and joined by a floor panel and open on top, and (b) a series of rectangular tube-shaped in vertical cross-section modules, each having only two bearing walls opposite each other and joined by both a floor panel and a ceiling panel. The tube-shaped modules are used only on the top story, and the U-shaped modules are used generally as lower units. The modules on each level are installed end to end so as to form a continuous living space in the longitudinal direction and side by side so as to form a separate series of living spaces and double walls separating the living spaces in the transverse direction.

I claim: 
     
       1. A building construction method for providing at a building site a plurality of adjoining plural-story building units, comprising the following steps: A. at a prefabricating site remote from the building site: 1. casting a large number of reinforced concrete modules of two basic types: a. for understories, U-shaped modules having a floor slab integral with two parallel load-bearing sidewalls which are laterally spaced apart by the floor slab at the full width of the building unit with which they are to be used, each of said U-shaped modules having an open top,   b. for the top stories only, tube-shaped modules having two parallel load-bearing sidewalls spaced apart laterally from each other at the full width of the building unit with which they are to be used and joined to each other by a floor slab and a ceiling slab, both integral with said sidewalls,     2. prefinishing each module so that finishing at the building site is minimized, said prefinishing including finishing the bottom of each module, except those to be used on the lowest story, to provide a suitable ceiling for the story therebelow,     B. transporting from said prefabricating site to said building site a sufficient number of modules, unconnected to each other, for making the building to be built there,   C. at said building site: 1. providing foundation structure for each of said building units,   2. placing on said foundation structure for each said building unit a first-story series of U-shaped modules, there being a plurality of such modules for each building unit with their sidewalls aligned along two parallel planes, so that the modules are longitudinally aligned,   3. spacing apart the sidewalls of adjacent building units to provide a double-wall thickness and an airspace between each pair of adjacent building units,   4. permanently securing said modules to said foundation structure and permanently securing the modules for each building unit together,     
     
     
       5. anchoring to said foundation at the bottom of said airspace a plurality of vertically extending post-tensioning strands extending up between modules in the airspace, 6. positioning polystyrene rods horizontally between the upper edges of the adjacent sidewalls of modules of adjoining units, spanning the airspace therebetween to maintain it and to help convert the airspace therebetween into a dead-air space,   7. for each additional story except the uppermost story of each unit, placing and permanently securing in place on top of the story therebelow, additional U-shaped modules with the bearing walls of each upper story in line with those of the modules therebelow,   8. positioning polystyrene rods horizontally as in step C-6 for each story of U-shaped modules,   9. for the uppermost story only, placing and permanently securing in place to each other and to the U-shaped modules of the stories directly therebelow, tube-shaped modules with their sidewalls vertically aligned with those of the U-shaped modules therebelow,   10. positioning polystyrene rods, as in step C-6, horizontally between the upper edges of the tube-shaped modules of adjoining units,   11. positioning polystyrene rods vertically at each vertical extremity of the airspace of adjoining units for the full height of each module, so that the airspace is fully enclosed,   
     
     
       12. post-tensioning the post-tensioning strands, with means bearing against the upper portions of said tube-shaped units, and 13. roofing over the structure over the slab ceilings of said uppermost story, whereby redundancy of ceilings and walls is avoided in each building unit and double thickness with dead-air space are provided between adjacent living units.     
     
     
       2. The method of claim 1 wherein, at said prefabricating site there is the step of providing the upper edge of each said sidewall with a recess, and   at the building site there are the steps of   disposing at least one reinforcing bar in said recess along the entire length of longitudinally aligned sidewalls of the same story, and   grouting the recess to connect the reinforcing bar to the sidewalls of the modules having that recess.   
     
     
       3. The method of claim 2 wherein steps C-2 and C-4 comprise: providing said foundation structure with steel rods extending upwardly therethrough and thereabove, with a threaded upper end,   bolting thereto a connection member having a perforated lower horizontal flange for said bolting, an upper horizontal flange, and a spacing vertical portion with an open portion between the upper and lower flanges,   grouting the area above said foundation structure, filling the space between the upper and lower flanges,   providing each U-shaped modules with a dowel rod extending therethrough from the bottom to the top,   securing to each said upper flange the dowel rod of the U-shaped module,   providing the lower end of each tube-shaped module and of each U-shaped module for stories above the lowest with a second connection member having an upper flange embedded in the module with a recess for a vertical member and a lower flange,   securing the upper end of each dowel rod to the lower flange of an associated second connection member, and   grouting in the recess to fill said second connection member and the recess around it.   
     
     
       4. The method of claim 1 wherein the permanent securing of adjoining longitudinal modules is achieved by: providing, at said prefabricating site, a plurality of connection means along each end edge of said floor slab, by embedding a plurality of U-shaped rods in the concrete of the floor slab, providing a cavity at each of a series of locations along said end edge, each bounded by a said U-shaped rod, placing in each cavity a metal hollow connection box having a perforated plate at the end edge, and welding said connection box to a said U-shaped rod, and   at the building site, bolting said plates together,   emplacing a retaining polystyrene rod along the lower edge of the floor slab where said plates meet, and   grouting above said polystyrene rod to fill said cavity and said box and enclose the bolt.   
     
     
       5. A building construction method for providing at a building site a plurality of adjoining plural-story building units, comprising the following steps: A. at a prefabricating site remote from the building site: 1. building a sufficient number of modules of two basic types: a. for understories, U-shaped modules having a floor slab permanently joined to two and only two parallel load-bearing sidewalls and laterally spacing them apart at the full width of the building unit with which they are to be used, each of said U-shaped modules having an open top,   b. for the top story only of each building unit, tube-shaped modules having two and only two parallel load-bearing sidewalls spaced apart laterally from each other at the full width of the building unit with which they are to be used and joined to each other by a floor slab and a ceiling slab both permanently joined thereto,     2. prefinishing each module so that finishing at the building site is minimized, said prefinishing including finishing the bottom of each module, except those to be used on the lowest story, so that it is suitable for use as a ceiling for the story below it,     B. transporting said modules, unconnected to each other, from said prefabricating site to said building site,   C. at said building site: 1. providing foundation structure for said units,   2. placing on and securing permanently to said foundation structure a first-story series of U-shaped modules, there being a plurality of such modules for each building unit, with their two sidewalls aligned along two parallel planes, adjacent building units having their sidewalls provide a double-wall thickness between adjacent units,   3. securing the first-story modules for each building unit permanently together,   4. for each additional story except the uppermost story of each unit, placing and securing permanently in place to the modules of the story therebelow additional U-shaped modules with their bearing walls in line with those of the story therebelow,   5. for the uppermost story only, placing and permanently securing in place tube-shaped modules with their sidewalls vertically aligned with those of the U-shaped modules therebelow, and   6. roofing over the ceiling of the uppermost story modules, whereby redundancy of ceilings and walls is avoided in each building unit and double thicknesses are provided between adjacent living units.       
     
     
       6. The method of claim 5 having the steps, at the building site, of: spacing apart the adjoining sidewalls of successive adjoining building units, and   gasketing vertically and horizontally between adjoining units at the extremities of said spaces to provide enclosed dead-air space for insulation between the adjoining units.   
     
     
       7. The method of claim 5 having the step, at the building site, of providing insulation over the ceiling slab of said tube-shaped modules and between that slab and the roofing thereover.   
     
     
       8. The method of claim 5 wherein each building unit comprises a plurality of living units separated from each other, each living unit having a plurality of stories, including providing at said prefabricating site some modules for each living unit with interior stairs for connecting the stories of each living unit together and connecting them together at said building site.